DAY TWO ONLY - Inform USA Conference Virtually Yours: Frontline Edition

  • Registration Closed

This registration includes single day access for Wednesday October 13th with sessions and activities aimed at expanding the skills and knowledge of frontline professionals and their supervisors. This event is perfect for individuals who fill or support roles that relate to Community Resource Specialists and Database Curators.

Any single day registration includes:

  • Access to the live sessions and session recordings and materials that will be held on the day you choose
  • Virtual Swag Bag
  • Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits

    We identified that our Quality Assurance practices were outdated and punitive, resulting in our phone agents sounding robotic and disconnected from the customer. By surveying direct staff and getting feedback from our employees, we developed a renewed quality assurance model to facilitate a natural rapport with our callers while simultaneously being purposeful to promote efficiency and timely results. We regularly calibrate calls as a leadership team to ensure consistency is achieved in regards to expectations of the phone agents. We’ve emphasized the importance of backing away from the data and focusing on establishing a unique human connection with our callers.

    (1 hour session)

    We identified that our Quality Assurance practices were outdated and punitive, resulting in our phone agents sounding robotic and disconnected from the customer. By surveying direct staff and getting feedback from our employees, we developed a renewed quality assurance model to facilitate a natural rapport with our callers while simultaneously being purposeful to promote efficiency and timely results. We regularly calibrate calls as a leadership team to ensure consistency is achieved in regards to expectations of the phone agents. We’ve emphasized the importance of backing away from the data and focusing on establishing a unique human connection with our callers.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Accomplishing a powerful connection with our callers based on conversations and emphasizing soft skills.
    • Creating clear-cut expectations and standards for our diverse set of calls.
    • Fostering an environment where we can share our concerns and work collaboratively to achieve the same results.

    Kimberly Curnan

    Contact Center Workforce Manager at

    211 Tampa Bay Cares, Clearwater, Florida

    Kimberly Curnan is the Contact Center Workforce Manager at 211 TBC. She has been with the agency for 9 ½ years, and started at 211 answering crisis calls. Over the years, she was promoted to leadership positions before finally becoming the Contact Center Manager in 2015. In 2017, she was certified as a National ASIST Trainer and facilitates the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training for 211 staff as well as MacDill AFB military staff and community partners. Kimberly graduated from University of South Florida in 2008 with a B.A. in Sociology.

  • Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits

    One of the biggest challenges facing older adults and people with disabilities is finding transportation services in their community that meet their needs. This session will focus on transportation and mobility options for older adults and people with disabilities when driving is no longer an option. Topics will include the importance of mobility for social connections and health, the range of mobility options, transportation accessibility, and ADA considerations. Information on finding community resources for transportation through information and referral/assistance (I&R/A) programs, the role of mobility managers, and assistance from aging services and CILs will also be provided. An introduction to a new I&R resource from the Eldercare Locator called the Disability Information and Assistance Line (DIAL) will be featured. DIAL specialist refers callers to the appropriate local transportation and other key community resources, taking their unique mobility needs into consideration.

    One of the biggest challenges facing older adults and people with disabilities is finding transportation services in their community that meet their needs. This session will focus on transportation and mobility options for older adults and people with disabilities when driving is no longer an option. Topics will include the importance of mobility for social connections and health, the range of mobility options, transportation accessibility, and ADA considerations. Information on finding community resources for transportation through information and referral/assistance (I&R/A) programs, the role of mobility managers, and assistance from aging services and CILs will also be provided. An introduction to a new I&R resource from the Eldercare Locator called the Disability Information and Assistance Line (DIAL) will be featured. DIAL specialist refers callers to the appropriate local transportation and other key community resources, taking their unique mobility needs into consideration.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Participants will learn how the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) and Eldercare locator provide information on transportation options.
    • Better understand the array of community resources that may be available to help older adults and people with disabilities choose the best transportation option available to address their specific needs.
    • Understand the importance of mobility and transportation accessibility to keep older adults and people with disabilities socially connected to their community and essentials services.

    Sara Tribe Clark

    Director of the Eldercare Locator

    USAging, Washington, District of Columbia


    Sara Tribe Clark is the Director of the Eldercare Locator within USAging. In this role, Sara oversees the operation of the Eldercare Locator Call Center, ensuring the responsive connection of people to community resources. Sara has nearly 20 years of experience in aging and disability services. Before joining USAging, she helped build the District of Columbia’s Aging and Disability Resource Center; was Director of the National Information and Referral Support Center at the ADvancing States; and spent 8+ years working within the aging and disability networks in Massachusetts. Sara’s time outside of work is spent on the other end of the age spectrum with a 3-year-old son and a 1-year-old daughter.

     

    Ken Thompson

    National Aging and Disability Transportation Center, Silver Spring, Maryland

    Easterseals, Washington, District of Columbia

    Ken Thompson is currently the Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator for the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center. He supports the NADTC by providing technical assistance, training and information to customers on a variety of issues including accessible transportation, the ADA, veterans' issues, building partnerships, and service planning. He responds to customers seeking information on a variety of issues related to accessible transportation. His over twenty years' experience working in human services includes managing a human service transportation system that followed a U.S. Navy stint working in aviation. Ken holds a Masters in Public Affairs and B.A. from Hood College in Maryland. He has completed the ADA Coordinator's Training Certification Program, University of Missouri College of Human Environmental Sciences and is a Community Resource Specialist (CRS).

    Heather Edmonds

    Program Associate for the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC)

    USAging, Washington, District of Columbia

    Heather Edmonds is the Program Associate for the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) in USAging. Heather has more than 10 years in information and referral working with various agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Heather holds Master of Science in Community Health from Towson University and is CRS-A/D certified. In addition, she provides technical assistance to transportation professionals on accessible transportation addressing the needs of older adults and people with disabilities and grants management support. She enjoys exercising, live music, and spending time with family and friends in her spare time.

  • Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits

    Workforce burnout and compassion fatigue: frontline specialists are at even more risk now than ever. If your I&R program went through the initial phase of the pandemic unphased, our hat is off to you. If, however, your specialists need a little extra TLC, or maybe you went through turnover due to the high volume of activity, this session is for you. United Way of Greater Houston’s 211 Texas/United Way Helpline recognized the impact of stressful calls and work isolation of remote-working specialists handling those calls. About 30 days after moving to a remote environment (with no notice, by the way!), the Helpline implemented twice-monthly Coffee Time conversations. These conversations meet specialists where they are, providing a safe space for discussion. Although the facilitator will present a topic, coffee time takes on its own form, becoming whatever the group needs it to be. Some specialists describe it as “magic,” while others say they can’t miss the sessions but have difficulty explaining exactly why Coffee Time is an important component of their work experience.

    Workforce burnout and compassion fatigue: frontline specialists are at even more risk now than ever. If your I&R program went through the initial phase of the pandemic unphased, our hat is off to you. If, however, your specialists need a little extra TLC, or maybe you went through turnover due to the high volume of activity, this session is for you.

    United Way of Greater Houston’s 211 Texas/United Way Helpline recognized the impact of stressful calls and work isolation of remote-working specialists handling those calls. About 30 days after moving to a remote environment (with no notice, by the way!), the Helpline implemented twice-monthly Coffee Time conversations. These conversations meet specialists where they are, providing a safe space for discussion. Although the facilitator will present a topic, coffee time takes on its own form, becoming whatever the group needs it to be. Some specialists describe it as “magic,” while others say they can’t miss the sessions but have difficulty explaining exactly why Coffee Time is an important component of their work experience.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Understanding Coffee Time from several perspectives: agency leadership, managers, facilitators, and specialists
    • How to implement a similar process for your agency (choosing a facilitator, determining "ground rules" for conversations, and establishing talking points for meetings (i.e, using an established set of talking points vs. using new ones each time))

    Casey Harvey

    Information Referral Specialist

    211 Texas/United Way Helpline, Houston, Texas

    Casey Harvey began her work as an Information Referral Specialist with the 211 Texas Helpline through the United Way of Greater Houston during the pandemic of 2020. Before relocating to Texas, Casey worked for a variety of charitable organizations in the state of Hawaii. She served a year with Aloha United Way 211 and worked for over 2 years helping the homeless and those with mental illness connect with programs that offered help and solutions. Casey has fought hard to return to work after 9 years on disability. To help raise suicide awareness, she presented her personal story at the Out of Darkness Suicide Awareness Walk two years in a row. During her downtime, you can find Casey playing fetch with her cat – Mr. Fred Rogers, painting and working towards earning her associate degree in communication.

    Nancy Weatherall

    Resources Specialist in Aging and Disabilities

    211 Texas/United Way Helpline, Houston, Texas

    Nancy Weatherall is a Certified Resources Specialist in Aging and Disabilities, who joined 211 Texas United Way of Greater Houston in 2019. She serves as the Liaison between the United Way and partnering senior service agencies. Prior to moving to Texas, Nancy worked for over 6 years as an Information Referral Specialist at Delaware 211, a United Way helpline. She became a Child Development Specialist under the Help Me Grow program and advocated for parents as a Family Support Provider through Champions for Children’s Mental Health. Although her degree is in multimedia design, Nancy has spent over a decade working in social services. She is passionate about helping others, particularly older adults and those with disabilities. Nancy is a native Spanish speaker, fluent in both English and Spanish. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family who originated from Uruguay, her children, and her local friends.

    Shondria Criss

    Information and Referral Specialist

    211 Texas/United Way Helpline, Houston, Texas

    Shondria Criss is a Certified Information and Referral Specialist and has worked at the United Way of Greater Houston for the past 6 years. Shondria has experience in crisis intervention, disaster recovery, human services, community investment and community resources. She holds an associate degree in Human Service Technology and is a certified Chemical Dependency Counselor.